The invention relates to method for feeding ammunition to automatic cannons, wherein cartridges transported by a conveyor chain are transferred to a star wheel arranged coaxially in relation to a revolving drum. The invention further relates to a device for executing the method.
Such a device, having a conveyor chain rotating in a housing of a magazine, is known from Swiss Patent Application 01 587/95-6 which is incorporated by reference. Scoops are provided on the conveyor chain, in which cartridges are held during the transport to a drum of an automatic cannon. Star-shaped reversing wheels and star-shaped transfer wheels are arranged on a common rotatable shaft at a reversing point of the conveyor chain facing the drum, wherein the reversing wheels are in engagement with the conveyor chain. A first conveying member provided in the area of the reversing wheels takes over cartridges from the conveyor chain, or respectively the transfer wheels, wherein the cartridges are transported along a guide surface in the shape of an arc of a circle away from the transfer wheels to a second conveying member. The first conveying member consists of two three-pointed stars arranged on a common rotatable shaft, whose gaps are matched to the cross-sectional shape of the cartridges. The second conveying member is also rotatably arranged and has a guide surface for receiving respectively one cartridge. A loading star, extending coaxially in respect to the drum, is fastened on the latter, to which the second conveying member transfers the cartridges. A scanning device, for example in the form of a photoelectric barrier arranged above a cartridge located on the second conveying member, checks the position of the first cartridge. If a cartridge is present, a loading device is activated and the cartridge is pushed into the drum.
The above described device is constructed relatively complicated and has no provisions for removing the empty cartridge case, such as is advantageous in connection with automatic cannons in aircraft, for example.
It is the object of the invention to propose a method and a device of the type mentioned at the outset, which do not have the above mentioned disadvantages and are particularly suited for aircraft.
The invention provides a single ammunition conveyor chain for an automatic cannon which can be adjusted for two settings as ammunition is conveyed from the magazine, one for loading and the other for firing, and allows spent cartridges to be collected in the magazine after firing. In operation, shortly before reaching the automatic cannon during a loading phase, the cartridges are deflected into a first track, which is spaced back from the revolving drum and are guided around the shaft of the revolving drum in this spaced back distance from the revolving drum. Shortly before reaching the automatic cannon during a firing phase, the cartridges are deflected into a second track, which differs from the first track by being brought forward into the revolving drum, they are then guided around the shaft of the revolving drum and are brought into a firing position directly behind the revolving drum. The loading phase is a phase between two firing phases, wherein cartridges are fed to the gun which will be used in the firing phase to follow; in other words, during the loading phase, a pre-loading takes place. The firing phase is the phase during firing, wherein cartridges are fed to the gun which are used immediately. After firing and ejection, the empty cartridge cases are caught and transported to a magazine on the first track.
The advantages which can be achieved by means of the invention are the following:
The proposed device with the return of the empty cartridge cases and misfired cartridges permits the automatic loading and unloading of the cannon and is particularly suited for aircraft (unloading the cannon prior to landing) as well as in all cases where it is necessary to operate remotely (difficult access to the cannon).
The continuous movement of the main elements of the conveying system reduces stresses and optimizes energy usage.
The capability of the conveyor chain to store some cartridges compensates for the stepwise movement of the revolving drum.
Further advantages rest in the simple modular structure, dependable operation and simple maintenance.
The invention will be explained in greater detail in what follows by means of an exemplary embodiment in connection with the drawings.